Joe Root is determined to put the controversy of his Birmingham bar-room encounter with David Warner behind him as he concentrates on his Ashes preparations.

It is almost three weeks since Root took a glancing blow from a Warner punch after the Aussie opener apparently lost his cool over the sight of the up-and-coming England batsman wearing a green-and-gold wig in a late-night Walkabout bar.

That was in the aftermath of England's opening Champions Trophy victory over Australia, and Root has since discovered he is to be fast-tracked up to open the batting in this summer's Ashes.

He is set to do so at Trent Bridge, where Warner will be missing early next month after Cricket Australia fined and banned the errant player up to and including the first Test for his off-field misdemeanour.

Root, set for a centre-stage role come what may in his first Ashes series, is hoping the incident can be forgotten.

"It's all done now. I hope we can move on," said the 22-year-old.

"David Warner has apologised; I've accepted it.

"As far as I'm concerned, that's all behind us."

Within four days of his close-up view of Warner's fist, Root was showing no ill-effects as he made a half-century in England's next match against Sri Lanka at The Oval.

"It's not ideal ... but you've just got to try to concentrate on your cricket," he added.

"I managed to do that, and hope I can take the confidence from that into the rest of the summer."

He is confident he will be able to handle the ongoing scrutiny too, as the stakes are raised for the Ashes - with a four-day warm-up match starting against Essex at Chelmsford tomorrow, for Root and others to concentrate on first.

"There's a lot more media attention," he said. "But it's just the same, 11 blokes like any other game.

"I'm just trying to get my head round tomorrow, and take it step by step."

When the Ashes do start in Nottingham on July 10, it will be lifelong wish granted for the young Yorkshireman.